title: Facility-level intervention to improve attendance and adherence among patients on anti-retroviral treatment in Kenya--a quasi-experimental study using time series analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Achieving high rates of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-poor settings comprises serious, but different, challenges in both the first months of treatment and during the life-long maintenance phase. We measured the impact of a health system-oriented, facility-based intervention to improve clinic attendance and patient adherence.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a quasi-experimental, longitudinal, controlled intervention study using interrupted time series analysis. The intervention consisted of (1) using a clinic appointment diary to track patient attendance and monitor monthly performance; (2) changing the mode of asking for self-reported adherence; (3) training staff on adherence concepts, intervention methods, and use of monitoring data; (4) conducting visits to support facility teams with the implementation.We conducted the study in 12 rural district hospitals (6 intervention, 6 control) in Kenya and randomly selected 1894 adult patients over 18 years of age in two cohorts: experienced patients on treatment for at least one year, and newly treated patients initiating ART during the study. Outcome measures were: attending the clinic on or before the date of a scheduled appointment, attending within 3 days of a scheduled appointment, reporting perfect adherence, and experiencing a gap in medication supply of more than 14 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among experienced patients, the percentage attending the clinic on or before a scheduled appointment increased in both level (average total increase immediately after intervention) (+5.7%; 95% CI=2.1, 9.3) and trend (increase per month) (+1.0% per month; 95% CI=0.6, 1.5) following the intervention, as did the level and trend of those keeping appointments within three days (+4.2%; 95% CI=1.6, 6.7; and +0.8% per month; 95% CI=0.6, 1.1, respectively). The relative difference between the intervention and control groups based on the monthly difference in visit rates increased significantly in both level (+6.5; 95% CI=1.4, 11.6) and trend (1.0% per month; 95% CI=0.2, 1.8) following the intervention for experienced patients attending the clinic within 3 days of their scheduled appointments.The decrease in the percentage of experienced patients with a medication gap greater than 14 days approached statistical significance (-11.3%; 95% CI=-22.7, 0.1), and the change seemed to persist over 11 months after the intervention. All facility staff used appointment-keeping data to calculate adherence and discussed outcomes regularly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The appointment-tracking system and monthly performance monitoring was strengthened, and patient attendance was improved. Scale-up to national level may be considered.
authors.affiliation: Management Sciences for Health, Nairobi, Kenya. kboruett@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boruett
authors.forename: Dorine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kagai
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Njogo
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nguhiu
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Awuor
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gitau
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chalker
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ross-Degnan
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wahlström
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tomson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057566:Self Report; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents